Teach evolution in elementary school?

I'm all for teaching evolution in science classes, and all for teaching creationism as an example of what science is not. However, I am not so sure that evolution and the scientific method needs to be introduced in grades K-5 at all. This proposal on change.org suggests just that. I realize that understanding of evolution is at a dismally low level in the US, but I just don't think that means that it is important to teach the difference between fact, theory, and law in science to children who are less than 10 years old. But, I know nothing of pedagogy, so I'd like to hear what experienced teachers of elementary school children have to say about this. Anyone?

Grades K-5: Kids in elementary schools will be introduced to basic concepts, including Evolution, the scientific method, Biology, Geology, Astronomy, and many basic experiments and labs. They will be taught the basics of Evolution, and what “Facts”, “Theories”, and “Laws” mean in Science.

Cailte, yes, I would say that's my experience. But then you could ask if you can get most children interested in evolution that early. And perhaps our experience that they can learn what they are interested in is contingent on the depth of what you introduce. I am quite sure they wouldn't be able to handle much of mathematics no matter how you go about it, for instance.

Sure but the mathematics isn't necassary to understand the basic concepts, which is all they are talking about. They mean the really basic stuff as well, take a look at a math or science syllabus for K+ and you will see what I mean.

Thanks for sharing. I read the pdf on the general science curriculum, and was pleased to see the focus in broad and much about evidence. And does include elements of evolution, as far as I can discern.

Pleiotropy comes from the Greek πλείων pleion, meaning "more", and τρέπειν trepein, meaning "to turn, to convert". It designates the occurrence of a single gene affecting multiple traits, and is a hugely important concept in evolutionary biology.

I'm a postdoc at UC Santa Barbara.

All Many aspects of evolution interest me, but my research focus is currently on microbial evolution, adaptive radiation, speciation, fitness landscapes, epistasis, and the influence of genetic architecture on adaptation and speciation.